Improvement in floral ornaments for tombstones



ANNA. FRENCH. FLORAL ORNAMENTS FOR TOMB-STONES.

No. 169,898. Pat.ei1ted Nov.16,1875.

Fig.2 Fig-1 lzwenior N-PETERS, PHOTO-LITHDGRAPHER, WASHKNGTON, D Q

UNITED STATES PATENT Orrron ANNA FRENCH, OF BANGOR, MAINE.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. 169,898, dated November16, 1875; application filed November 2, 1874.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, Mrs. ANNA FRENCH, ofBangor, State of Maine, have invented Fadeless Ornaments, of which thefollowing is a specification i The object of my invention is toconstruct flowers, fruits, or leaves which shall be fadeless, and whichmay be used to form ornamental wreaths for the decoration of monumentsor tombstones, and which shall be practically imperishable from exposureto the weather. 7

In the accompanying drawing, Figure l is a panel or box with a bouquetof fadeless flowers fixed to a false back. Fig. 2 is a side view of thepanel or box, showing how the bouquet is attached to the false back orbottom. Fig. 3 is a loop formed of brass wire and beads, showing theprinciple of the construction of fadeless flowers and wreaths.

In the different figures similar letters'refer to corresponding parts.

A is a panel, recess, or box. B is a bouquet. O is a glass. D isa falseback, removable at pleasure. to is the principal stem of the wholebouquet. b is a cord or wire passing through the false back and securingthe bouquet in place; 0 c 0 are the stems of the leaves. at cl areleaves. 0 06 are loops formed of beads and brass wire.

In order that others skilled in the art may be able to make and use myinvention, I will now proceed to describe its construction andoperation.

I take brass or copper wire and string beads of glass or anyindestructible material onto the wire, as shown at Fig. 3. I then formloops for some of the leaves, and weave the Wire with the beads strungupon it into the shapes of various fruits, flowers, and berries,bringing the ends of the wire together and twisting them to form stems,as at c, Fig. 3. These separate stems are finally twisted together intoone principal stem, as at a, Fig. 2. The beads used should be of variouscolors, and by a proper selection of colors and taste in forming theleaves very elegant fadeless Wreaths may be composed which would beappropriate and very ornamental to be placed in a panel in a cemeterymonument or in a tombstone, and if the proper beads are used with brassor copper wire, wreaths and designs may be produced which will beentirely fadeless, and as enduring and indestructible as the granite ormarble of a which the monument itself is composed.

The designs of the ornaments may be varied-as, for instance, there maybe a picture in the center and a wreath surrounding it, or there may bea bouquet as a center-piece, and this may be surrounded with a wreath.

It is intended to have a panel formed in the monument or stone, and inthis monumentpanel is to be fitted a slab of stone or a metallic sheet,which shall fit into the bottom of the panel, as at D, Fig. 2, and uponthis false back are to be fastened the fadeless ornaments. The falseback may then be fixed in place with cement or in any suitable way, anda plate of glass, 0, is then to be set into the panel to protect it fromthe weather, although these ornaments, being formed of brass or copperwire and glass, or other indestructible beads, would not be injured bythe weatherin ages.

I do not claim, broadly, flowers made of glass, nor the use of wire forstringing heads.

I am aware that photographs and natural flowers artificially covered ortreated have been used in connection with tombstones. These 1 do notclaim; but

I claim- In combination with a tombstone, fadeless wreaths or flowersmade of glass beads or other material not naturally susceptible toinjury from atmosphericinfluences, and arranged upon brass or copperwire, all as shown and set forth.

ANNA FRENCH.

Witnesses:

FRED. W. SARGENT, FRED. H. OooMBs.

